So, you are a writer and now want to be an author. And that is excellent news! Becoming an author can change your life and impact the lives of thousands or millions of people. Bear in mind, though, that writing a book isn’t a walk in the park, especially if you’re doing it for the first time. No need to sugar-coat it, it takes determination, patience, and a lot of hard work to finish a book, but it is not an impossible task. You may be thinking that you don’t have what it takes to write a book, but that isn’t always the case. You don’t have to be a extraordinary writer to write a book. All you need are the right steps to get it done.

And that is why we have put together a list you should follow to get started on the process.

1. Plot out your idea

It is time to ask yourself serious questions: what do you want your book to be about? Who is your target audience? What is the information you want to pass across? If it helps, make a list so that you know what you want in your book and get the general idea of the plot. This will save you a lot of time as you gain clarity on your writing.

2. Understand your audience 

Your audience determines a lot of how your book will be. Now that you have a plot and an idea of the message you are passing across. You have to study your audience and tailor your story to fit them. You want your language to be one they will easily understand so that they will receive your message. This will build a foundation for communication between you and your audience.

3. Write 

This will be your first draft, and this is where your story begins. As you continue to build your plot and your account unfolds, you will find your characters going in directions you could never imagine. Don’t worry. Just keep writing, and don’t bother being perfect. In the end, your plot will come together nicely. Also, don’t worry so much about correcting grammar just yet. You will spend a lot of precious time if you are always going back to edit as you write, and eventually, you may lose sight of your original plot.

4. Edit 

Now that you’ve finished writing, it is time to rewrite. Now, you can edit your work and tighten your draft. This is where you remove everything that is deemed unnecessary and focus on grammar. No one desires to read a book filled with punctuation mistakes, wrong spelling, and other mistakes. You want your story to be one people can read and understand (understanding being the critical part). Here, you want to consider getting a professional book editor to do the editing and proofreading of your book. 

When all this is done, you have a complete book and can now pat yourself on the back. You did it!